Mushrooms have been present in human life and culture for thousands of years. It’s difficult to say when this shared adventure truly began. We know for sure that they have played (and continue to play) a significant role in many cultures. The field of ethnomycology speaks to this. Want to learn more? I encourage you to read this article.
What is ethnomycology?
It is an interdisciplinary science that attempts to determine the place and role of various mushrooms in human cultures. It examines both past and present customs associated with them, analyzing all reports of their presence in folklore, legends, and everyday use. Although it officially deals with all organisms from this kingdom – i.e., edible, medicinal, and functional – in recent years, this science has increasingly focused on psychoactive and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
This field is relatively young, dating back to the 1950s. Its pioneers were Robert Gordon Wasson and Valentina Pavlovna Wasson. They were the first to receive the honor of participating in a ritual involving the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms. However, the scientific foundations for it were laid by Richard Evans Shultes, professor of natural sciences and head of the Botanical Museum at Harvard University. He traveled throughout South America for 14 years, researching, among other things, the edible mushrooms. The use of narcotic plants in the rituals of cultures inhabiting the Amazon.
Other well-known ethnomycologists include:
- Terence McKenna,
- Albert Hofmann,
- John Marco Allegro.
Each of them has made a contribution by studying fungi in world cultures. They have often provoked controversy, but among those most interested in this field, they are icons of sorts.
Fungi in World Cultures
Now that we know a little about what ethnomycology is and its founders, it’s worth taking a closer look at the role these organisms played in different regions of the world. Below, I will discuss in more detail the role mushrooms played in European, Mesoamerican, and Asian cultures.
Mushrooms in Mesoamerican Culture
Among the indigenous peoples of the Americas (especially Central and South America), mushrooms played a central religious role. It is believed that after crossing Beringia (the bridge that once connected northeastern Asia with northwestern North America), people explored their new environment through experimentation. Sometimes this ended tragically, and sometimes with unexpected results. This may have been the case with mushrooms, which were most likely already present around 3000 BCE. They were exalted as “divine plants.”
From the moment their properties were recognized, they were used to connect with the gods. Psilocybin mushrooms were referred to as teonanácatl, “flesh of the gods.” They were also used for divination and during important holidays, such as coronations. They were also used as medicines. They helped cope with physiological and psychological problems.
The importance of psilocybin mushrooms in Native American cultures is best demonstrated by material evidence in the form of figurines and paintings. For example, images of mushrooms often accompany portraits of the god Xochipilli – the prince of flowers. Furthermore, it is believed that only members of the elite had access to these “divine plants.”
Mushrooms in Asian Cultures
Mushrooms are also deeply embedded in the cultures of the Far East. Although hallucinogenic mushrooms are less common, history and archaeological discoveries also indicate their use in India and selected regions of Central and Northeast Asia (where fly agarics were most commonly used in shamanic rituals). However, they were most commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as medicinal agents. We still use this knowledge today, supplementing with, for example:
- Reishi (called the mushroom of immortality) – once available only to emperors,
- Cordyceps – an adaptogen, said to boost energy, vitality, and performance,
- Shiitake – strengthens immunity and overall health.
In China and Japan, mushrooms are also associated with gods. They are associated with immortality, wisdom, and rebirth. They were also thought to be links between earth and heaven. To this day, they are an essential ingredient in Asian cuisines, but also in art, depicted on porcelain, among other things.
Mushrooms in European Cultures
And what is the situation like in the Old Continent? Mushrooms in European culture are viewed ambiguously. This depends primarily on the region and national traditions. For example, the British and Scandinavians associated them more with danger and diabolical forces. Slavs and Balts, on the other hand, treat them as a natural boon.
Contemporarily, mushrooms are valued ingredients in dishes, and every autumn, thousands of Poles head into the forest to find as many as possible. In the past, however, they also had a broader, spiritual meaning. They were associated with supernatural powers. “Witch’s circles” were places where magical rituals were performed or where nymphs lived. Meanwhile, during mushroom picking, ancient Slavs were said to have dedicated the first specimens to forest spirits.
These gifts of the forest also had other uses. Some species, including fly agarics, when properly treated, were said to help with rheumatism, skin diseases, tuberculosis, and even paralysis and epilepsy. To this day, polypores are sometimes used to heat houses and repel insects.
Mushrooms and People – An Inseparable Connection?
Even though we are gradually stripping the material world of its spiritual roots, there is no doubt about one thing – mushrooms will always be present in our everyday lives in one way or another. Without them, we would not have numerous medicines, nor other substances, such as industrial ones. Especially since we are still discovering their various properties.